Process for preparing leguminous products for edible purposes.



d after having been EDWARD u. STEPHENS, or BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

PROCESS FOR PREPARING LEGUMINOUS PRODUCTS FOR EDIIBLE PURPOSES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EowARD U. STEPHENS,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 21, 1913. Serial No. 762,560.

a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Process for Preparing Leguniinous Products for Edible Purposes.

This invention relates to a process, more especially for preparing beans for eating purposes, and has for its object to render ordinary naval or field beans convenient and easy for preparation, nutritious, appetizing, wholesome and attractive as an edible product in flake form.

The process contemplates the preparation of beans as a prepared food to be distributed in scale cartons to the general grocery trade for individual consumption. It contemplates the elimination of all deleterious substance arising in their preparation without detracting from the wholesome and appetizing qualities usually destroyed where 2 beans are hulled for marketing purposes.

The process consists in eliminating the distasteful and strong flavor by parboiling "beans in a solution of water and sodium bi- .carbonate.riiising the beans in pure water parbolled, cook ng them nextin a solution 0 saltand pure water until done or nearly so, passing the beans through a drying process after having been cooked, passin them between rolls to reduce the same to fia lres and then drying them until crisp and brittle. The process for drying the beans in the various stages before and after flaking and the means for removing the various liquors in which thelbeans have been treated, may be done in any expedient and convenient manner.

To prepare one hundred pounds of dry beans for flaking, a solution consisting of twelve ounces of sodium bi-carbonate, (common baking soda), and cold water s'uflicient to somewhat more than cover the beans, is prepared. and the beans brought to a boiling point, after which the parboiling solution is drained oil", the beans rinsed in pure clear water, and thence cooked until done or nearly so in a solution of water containing salt enough, in the judgment. of the operator or attendant in charge of the process, to flavor the same in an appctizing manner, the quantity of salt under ordinary circumstances, for one hundred pounds of dry beans being about (5}), five and one half pounds.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

The beans having been cooked as aforesaid ,withont breaking up their structure and drained of their saline water in which cooked, are next dried by subjecting the same to currents of air for eliminating all surplus moisture without drying the substance of the beans, after which the beans thus treated are passed between rolls and flaked, thence subjecting the flakes toa drying process which renders them, when brittle and crisp a finished product.

To prepare the flakes for eating, boiling milk,or boiling water and milk, to suit the taste of the user, is poured over the flakds and eaten in the manner of soups of other character,

Flakesnot wholly done, may be further cooked by pourin milk, or milk and water over the same an bringing the same to the boiling point for a few minutes, as the occasion may require.

In lieu of parboiling the bonuses hereinbefore set forth, they may be soaked in a bath of pure water, or a solution of pure water and soda for a period of from eight to.

twelve hours and thence cleared of the solution before cooking, at the option of. the party in charge of the process.

Having therefore described my recess for preparing and flaking beans, I c aim:

1. The process for flaking beans, which consists in eliminating the strong and unpleasant flavor in their substance, by subecting drybenns to a sodium bi-carbonate solution and bringing the solution to a boiling point, thence removing the solution from the )eans. rinsing the beans in pure water, thence boiling the same in a solution of salted water adequate to the purpose until done or nearly so without breaking their 'strncture, thence eliminating the saline solution and all surplus moisture from the beans without drying their structure, thence passing the beans between rolls until flaked and then subjecting the flakes to a. drying process that will render the same crisp and brittle.

2. The process for flaking beans, which consists first, in covering one hundred pounds of dry beans with to id or cold water to which twelve ounces 0 sodium hi-carbonate (baking soda) has been added the solution thoroughly mixed and brought to a i boilin point; second ridding the beans of the so ution.- and rinsing the same with pure water; third, charging the beans with pure llU , Losenm water, tepid or boiling, in quantity to cover f flaking the beans by passin the same be the same after which, or before the solution tween rolls; sixth, drying t e flakes until 10 hals lieenbadtiled fiiie and 0118 half pclilungis of i crisp and brittle.

sat as een supp ie ,and oiling t eeans 5 until done, or nearly so without breaking I EDWARD STEPHENS their structure; fourth drying the beans to I Witnesses: I the extent of removing all surplus moisture H. F. WINGATE,

I without injury to the bean substance; fifth, F. H. WINGATE. 

